Day 90: Clean-Out-the-Fridge Noodle Bowl ♥

Clean-Out-the-Fridge Noodle Bowl
By tonight's Six O'Clock Scramble, my body was still on sensory overload from last night's My First Panzanella and Zucchini Timbale with Cheese.

A piece of toast, a bowl of cereal. Any more might knock me over the gustatory edge.

But: thanks to the every-day, you know, every-SINGLE-day commitment of the Veggie Venture, I opened the fridge. Reality hit: if I intended to stock up at Saturday's farmers markets, I'd better empty out the vegetable bins.

And so surprise, surprise, the result was a delightful little pasta bowl, bits of chopped vegetables (starting with tomato, key for moisture) and tossed with basil and leftover vinaigrette from Day 71's Brushed Eggplant.

RECIPE for CLEAN-OUT-THE-FRIDGE NOODLE BOWL

Active time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 25 minutes
Made 6 cups

8 ounces pasta

BASICS
1 - 2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped (I used one tomato, two would have been better for a different veggie:pasta proportion)
1 sweet red or yellow or orange pepper, chopped (good for crunch)
1/3 English cucumber, chopped (good for crunch)
1 - 2 roasted red peppers, fresh or from a jar (for flavor and texture contrast)
1/4 red onion, chopped fine (for bite)
Fresh spinach
Handful of basil, chopped
2 - 3 tablespoons vinaigrette (or mix mustard, vinegar and olive oil or use a bottled dressing)
Lots of freshly ground pepper

ADD-ON IDEAS
Other leftover vegetables
Canned beets
Frozen peas
Capers
Olives
Diced cheese
Grilled chicken
Canned salmon or tuna or sardines
The kitchen sink

Cook the pasta in salted water until done (since there's relatively little sauce to soak into the noodles in this dish, I like the pasta more cooked than not).

Meanwhile assemble vegetables and other add-ons in a large bowl. Add the cooked pasta, stir in the vinaigrette one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Season well with black pepper.




MORE GOOD WAYS TO USE UP LEFTOVER VEGETABLES
~ Mom's Favorite Leftover Magic ~
~ Clean-out-the-Fridge Purée ~
~ Clean-Out-the-Fridge Noodle Bowl ~
~ more "Leftover Magic" recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Saturday Soup ~
~ more recipes for using up leftovers ~
from Kitchen Parade


© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2005


Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

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